Two changes have reshaped this procedure and both are recent. The national identity card application is now required when applying for a Somali passport, through a single integrated appointment system. And the embassy has stopped accepting money orders entirely: all payments are now digital.
Quick facts
That last point deserves emphasis because it surprises people: the embassy processes new passports and renewals of expired passports only. Lost passports are not processed. If yours has gone missing, contact the embassy to ask what route exists rather than booking a renewal appointment.
Fees breakdown
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Passport and national ID together | Published tariff | One fee covers both services |
| Payment method | Digital only | Money orders discontinued |
| Appointment | Required | Select the correct city |
| Certificate of non-criminal record | Charged separately | From the authorities or a mission |
| Birth certificate from a mission | Published tariff | Accepted for those living abroad |
The fee you pay covers both the passport and the national identity card, which is worth knowing before assuming you are being charged twice.
How to apply
- Book through the integrated passport and national ID appointment system.
- Select the correct city: the embassy runs travelling consular sessions as well as appointments in Washington.
- Give accurate and truthful details: the immigration agency holds records of previous and current information.
- Gather the original birth certificate, or one issued by a Somali mission if you live abroad.
- Obtain the certificate of non-criminal record, from the authorities in Somalia or an equivalent from a mission.
- Attend the interview and document verification, and bring proof of payment.
Required documents
- Original birth certificate from the local authority, or one issued by a Somali embassy or consulate abroad.
- Certificate of non-criminal record, or the equivalent from a mission.
- Current or expired passport for renewals.
- Proof of payment of the prescribed fee.
- Proof of your status in the United States.
- Photographs to the published specification.
Where to apply
At the embassy in Washington, which also runs appointments in other cities through the same system. Consular services are by appointment only.
Additional notes
When you can renew
Passports with fewer than six months of validity, or with pages used up, are eligible for renewal. That is the trigger, not the expiry date itself.
A personal interview is part of it
The process includes an interview and examination of your documents to verify identity and eligibility. It is not a counter transaction.
Birth certificates from abroad count
For people living outside Somalia, an original birth certificate issued by a Somali embassy or consulate is accepted in place of one from a local authority at home. That solves a real problem for the diaspora.
The embassy travels to you
There is no permanent Somali consulate outside Washington, but the embassy runs travelling consular sessions in cities with large Somali communities — Minneapolis, Columbus and Seattle among them — taking passport and identity card applications over a few days. That is why the booking system asks you to choose a city. Watch the embassy’s announcements for the next visit to yours: it can save a flight.
Use a current browser
The embassy specifically recommends Chrome for its appointment system, which suggests the others have given trouble.